Wagon-axle



v(No Model.)

N. s. KETGHUM.

WAGON A-XLBQ Patented Feb. 5, 1889.

Unirse Serarns @Armar rrrcn.

NATTANIEL S. KETCHUM, OF MARSHALLTOVN, IOYA.

WA G O N AX L E SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 897,131, dated February 5, 1889.

Application filed November 3, 1887. Serial No. 254,139. (No model.)

To all whom it 72mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, NArHANiEL S. KnrcHUM, a citizen otl the United States, residing' at Marshalltown, in the county of Marshall and State ot' Iowa, have invented cert-ain new and useful lm provement-s in YWagon-Axles; and I do hereby declare the .following io be a full, clear, and exact description ot the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In the z'tceompanying drawings, illustrating' my invention, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved wagon-axle; Fig. 2, a vert-ical central longitudinal section of the same; 8, a vertical transverse section in the line .r oc ot' Fig. 2; Fig. 4, an enlarged perspective detached view of the axle-skeins; Fig'. 5, a vertical Jtransverse section in the line i/ of Fig. 2, and Fig. (i a. like section in the line .z 2 of Fig. 2.

The object et' my invention is the construction of a wagon-axle which shall possess the qualities ot' lightness, durability, and very great strength, compared with wagon-axles as generally constructed and in common use for sustaining' and tran sporting heavy loads and it consists, in the main, in the utilization ol' a truss-rod secured longitu linally ot' the axle and within either an oval or a round tube, as the case may be, which, in connection with a truss-block within the tube, not only serves the purpose oi holding and tightening' the skeins upon the tapered wood stock ot' the axle, but also. resists the downward pressure of a superincumbent load, as well as serving' to hold securely in position the main parts of the wagon-axle, as will be hereinafter described; and it also consists in certain constructions and combinations ot parts hereinafter' described and specifically claimed.

As 'shown in Figs. l and 2, the upper longitudinal portion ot' my improved axle A is composed of wood stock u, having tapering ends, as at c, which -terminate a short distance from the ends of themetal tube b when applied to said tube, as in Figs. l and 2, said wood stock c on its under side being' formed with a halt-circle groove or nearly a hallicircle groove, as indicated at ce, Fig. 5, which extends from end to end of the stock c to receive therein and vform a seat for the metal tube h when said stock and tube are held in juxtaposition, as indicated in Figs. l, 2, and 5. The stock and tube central of their length are held together by an adjustable strap-box or confining device, B, the upper halt ot' which lis composed of a flat or plate-metal strap, as c, provided with screw-bolts, as c', while the lower half is formed of a half-circle plate, c?, to iit up against the tube I), as shown, and with bolt-eyes on either side, as at ci", through which the screw-bolts c pass and receive on their ends tightening screwnuts c4, as shown in Figs. l and The drawings in l and 5 show the strap-box B screwed up upon the wood stock c and the tube b, but with an adjusting-space, d, left between its upper and lower portions, so that any shrinkage of the wood stock maybe coinpensated for by still further screwing up the nuts c4, thereby tightening the wood stock and tube more tirmly together.

The tube b, which in cross-section may be either oval. or round, as desired, the same being shown in this instance round, may be ot' any suitablemetal and of a length somewhat long-er, as shown, than the wood stock a ot' the axle, into the under side of which it is seated, so that the projecting ends of the tube, as at b b', beyond the tapering' ends c c of the wood stock may enter and exactly tit into circular chambers b3 of the axle-skeins C, while at the same time the tapering ends d ot the wood stock may enter, fit, and be con- Iined in upper partially-oval chambers or hoods, b", of the axle-skeins C C.

v'1.l1eaxle-skeins C, as before stated, are made with circular chambers b, to receive the ends ot' the metal tube l), and with partially-oval chambers or hoods h1, to receive the tapered ends of of the wood stock o. rlhese skeins are of oval term in cross-section and taper ingly constructed from end to end, as shown in Figs. 4 and G, so as to give the required gather and pitch of the wheel used thereon, and at their outer ends are screw-threaded, as shown, to receive a screwmut, c, whereby a thimbhsf, maybe held in place upon the skein. These axle-skeins are also perforated longitudinally through their outer ends, as indicated in Fig. 2, and through which perforations, as shown in said iig-ure, a truss-rod, G, freely passes at either end, as shown, and

IOO

which at eaeh end is screw-threaded to reeeive a tighteningnut, e. This rod G, as elearlw7 shown in Fig. 2, passes through the entire length ot' the wagon-axle and through a tube, i), and Centrally of its length it passes through a solid eireular 111etal trusssbloek, g, which snuglyv tits within the tube, the aperture through said hloek r/ being Oi' just sutlieient size or diameter to allow the rod G to pass through, sueh aperture being, as elearly shown in Fig. 5, below the horizontal axis of the truss-bleek g, so that from the bleek to either end ol the axle outwardly to the sel-ewnuts e e the rod G ooenpies an aseending plane within the tube Z), and thus when the rod is strained hy serewing 11p the nuts e e there will be a lit'tin or upward strain or pulling or truss aetion upon the truss-bleek g, 1 which will resist and help to sustain the dOwnward pressure of a superineunibent load upon the axle; and, aside from sueh function of the truss-rod and bleek g, the serewin up of the nuts e e will loroe the skeins (XC to abut tight against the ends of the rod G, and also hug tightly over and upon the tapering ends a a of the wood stock o, and so firmly and seeureh* hold the several parts in workin g position.

The thiinble f at its inward end abuts against a shoulder, f2, of the axleskein C, while at its outer end the nut e confines the thiinble in position upon the skein. The nut e is of suoli sif/.e that it may be unserewed from the skein C without interfering with the tightening screw-nut e upon the trussafod G, and hence a wheel used upon my improved axle may be removed without interfering with the truss-rod.

The skein C, which at its upper inner end is Constructed with a partially-oval ehaniber or hood, Mwhieh is made to iit upon the tapered end of the wood stoek of, also has a seinieireular channel, h5, extending the distance between its shoulder f2 and its shoulder f3, so that when the tube b is in position therein, as in Fig. 2, the tube will be partially inolosed by said ohannel and a tapering end, d', oi the wood stock (l, as shown, while at the saine time a like length of the tube at its outermost end will be inelosed completely by the lnetal skein inside Of its eireular eharnber b, and so a-s to have the extreme end oi the tube ZJ abut against the skein at the point i, clearly shown in said ligure.

That l elaiin as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The Combination of the abntinents fr' Ot' a wagon-axle skein, the wood stock ct, metal axletnbe i), perforated metal truss-bloek g within the tube, truss-rod G, and tighteningnuts e', substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A wagonskein, C, constructed at its inner end with a hood, h4, a selnieireular ehannel, b5, and a Circular chamber, h3, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof l aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NATHANIEL S. KETOl-l'Ulll.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH H. JOHNSTON, FRED. P. MOFFATT. 

